NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible | Page 18

22  |  INTRODUCTION TO Genesis
In opposition to the work of God in the world, the spread of sin becomes a major theme in
­ enesis. Human sin begins in the Garden of Eden when the man and woman follow their own desires
G
rather than the will of God (3:1 – 7). It grows as Cain murders his brother (4:1 – 8) and his descen-
dant Lamech kills out of vengeance (4:23 – 24). Finally, there comes a time when evil controls every
thought of every person, with the exception of Noah (6:5,8). Violence has corrupted the earth (6:11).
The flood wipes out that sinful generation, but it does not end the rebellion in the hearts of people.
Righteous Noah became drunk, and his son saw his nakedness (9:20 – 22). The builders of the tower
of Babel thought only of themselves and their glory (11:1 – 8). Even
Abram lies about Sarai his wife, bringing about diseases in Phar­aoh’s
household (12:10 – 20; cf. Abraham and Abimelek in ch. 20 and Isaac
and Abimelek in 26:7 – 11). Abram’s nephew Lot chooses the well-
watered but wicked land around Sodom (13:10 – 13) and, like Noah,
became drunk and was seduced by his own daughters (19:30 – 38).
God judges the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other
cities of that plain. He destroys them with fire when not even ten
righteous can be found in Sodom (18:20 — ​19:29). The deception of
Jacob and Laban (chs. 29 – 31) and the betrayal of Joseph by his broth-
ers (37:12 – 28) provide further examples of sin.
God’s redeeming love and grace are always at work in the midst
of this sin. Juxtaposed against some of the greatest descriptions of
sin and judgment appear the two major covenants that ­Genesis
describes. The term “covenant” (Hebrew bĕrît) implies a rela-
tionship with God. Through a covenant God seeks to recreate
the loving relationship that he had with Adam and Eve
before human sin destroyed it. The term for “cov­
enant” first occurs in 6:18, where God promises
Noah that he will establish a covenant that will
benefit all life. God confirms its establishment
in 9:9,11. The promise is that God will never again
destroy the entire world with a flood. In 12:1 – 3,
God begins to create a covenant with Abram (see
Introduction: Genesis and Theology [Faith]).
Abram believes God when God says that Abram will
father a great nation (15:6). God makes the most
solemn promise possible (15:1 – 21). He instructs
The Atrahasis Epic, ca. seventeenth century BC, contains
Abram to divide the carcasses of various animals.
stories of creation and the flood in a sequence similar to At that point, Abram falls into a deep sleep, and
that of Genesis.
in a dream God symbolically passes between the
© 2013 by Zondervan
carcasses. In doing so, God swears by his own life
that if his promises do not come true, he will be
killed just like the animals were. The sign of the first covenant with Noah was the rainbow (9:13). The
sign of the covenant God makes with Abraham is circumcision (17:11). This sign is related to the great
increase in numbers that God promises he will give to Abraham and to his descendants (17:1 – 8).
GENESIS AND THE NEW TESTAMENT
Genesis lays the foundation for salvation history. It is no surprise, therefore, that the text has numer-
ous connections with the NT. Four stand out. First, Paul repeatedly describes the sin and judgments
of Gen 3 and applies them to the redeeming work of Christ. This is clearest in Rom 5:12 – 21: the sin
and death that one man’s (Adam’s) transgression brought contrasts with the justification, righteous-
ness, and life that one man (­Jesus Christ) brings through his sacrifice on the cross for our sins. ­Jesus
is a second Adam, succeeding where the first Adam failed.
Second, Gen 14:18 – 20 is a brief account about Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem who blesses
Abram by God Most High and receives from Abram a tithe of what Abram had captured. This account
forms the background for designating the Messianic king of Ps 110 as one who is also a priest “in the
order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110:4). The NT book of Hebrews mentions Melchizedek nine times to con-
nect ­Jesus’ priestly ministry with the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:1,10,11,15,17). Because
Abram gave a tithe to Melchizedek, so did all his descendants. This included Aaron and the priestly
line of the tribe of Levi. Thus, this line of priests honored Melchizedek as superior. ­Jesus, the Mes-
sianic king, is in this priesthood (Ps 110), and therefore his priesthood surpasses that of Aaron and his
line.
A third focus for the appearance of Genesis in the NT is the book of Revelation. The first book
in the Bible describes how the serpent deceives the woman, and how her offspring consequently
struggles with the serpent (Gen 3:1 – 15), and the last book describes how the serpent seeks to destroy